Crystal Moon
by LadyNightfyre
Summary: It's been three months since the defeat of the Black Moon Kingdom. Rini has gone home and everything is peaceful. That is, untill the senshi meet up with two new girls, who are followed by a powerful new enemy. What will happen next?
1. Strange Vibes

I first wrote this story about ten years ago. Since then I've grown up and finally decided to do something real with it! If you're one of the ones who has been reading my other stories, thank you. I promise, as soon as my inspiration kicks back into gear, I'll be continuing them! Hope you enjoy!

Standard Disclaimer: I in no way own Sailor Moon. The only things belonging to me are Sailors Pegasus and Aries and the plot.

The Crown was crowded when the senshi arrived, but Motoki waved them on into the back corner, where he had a table waiting on them. They grouped around it, jostling into each other and laughing. Mamoru arrived just as they were ordering their drinks and slid into a seat beside Usagi. They chatted aimlessly until their drinks arrived and they could order their food. When the waitress went away, Rei raised her drink in a toast. "To three months without an attack!"

"Amen!" Usagi said as they clinked their glasses together. In the three months since Wiseman's last attack, the group had made it a point to celebrate each month's passing without an attack. It had been a good three months. Makoto had begun teaching Minako how to cook, much to everyone's dismay. The blonde had no aptitude for the task, whatever her skills as a Sailor Senshi were. Usagi was actually making an effort to be on time for once, though admittedly it had not been a successful one. She had managed to reduce the amount of time she was late by though. Ami had not changed. She had a book hiding in her lap at that moment, though Minako was trying to confiscate it. Rei had increased her study of the Great Fire recently. Mamoru was studying hard for his newest quarter in college, thankful that there had been no midnight calls recently.

"Guys," Rei suddenly broke into their happy conversation. Her face was deadly serious, her eyes intent on something beyond their heads. "I'm getting some weird vibes all of a sudden." The girls sitting with their backs to the door turned, trying to pinpoint the place Rei was looking. All they could see were two other girls sitting on barstools, sipping their drinks quietly and scanning the crowd. They both looked to be about Mamoru's age. One had long, blue-black hair that flowed down her back like water. On each side of her head, a small lock of hair had been braided with bright white ribbon and secured like a coronet. The tails of the two braids fell to mix in with the rest of her hair. Her mischievous eyes were the color of amethysts. The other girl was a little shorter, but she was the one that captured everyone's attention. She looked like Queen Serenity, Usagi's mother. Her long silver hair was even bound up into twin odangos. The only real difference was her eyes. They were the color of pale lilacs. Seeming to sense the scrutiny she was being subjected to, she turned to face the group and gestured to her friend. The two exchanged looks with each other and turned to leave, but not before the dark haired one flashed the girls a salute and a mysterious smile.

Rei appeared lost in concentration as the rest of the group turned back to her. Makoto shook her gently and she came back to earth with a little shake of her head. Usagi had a stricken look on her face. "She looks like my mother," said the blonde soberly. "Do you think…? Could she be…" she trailed off and looked over at Mamoru. He wrapped his arm around her and pulled her against him.

"No, she is not Queen Serenity," Rei said. "She just looks like her, maybe related. Those two girls were where I was getting those readings from." Her face reassumed its faraway look. "I don't think they're bad. Just… new. We'll meet them again. They know who we are. I'm willing to bet." The other girls and Mamoru exchanged worried looks. Makoto asked the question on everyone's tongue.

"Does this mean that we're about to be attacked again?"

"I don't know," Rei said. "But probably. I think they want something from us. I'm going to consult the Fire. Maybe it will be able to tell me more." The priestess rose from the table and exited quickly. The others lingered for a while longer, before paying for their food and wandering away in their own separate directions; Ami towards the library, Minako and Makoto towards the mall and Usagi and Mamoru to the park.

A few blocks away, two young women walked aimlessly down a street lined with shall shops and restaurants. They spoke in English, their native language, with a slow, soft Southern drawl, so as not to be understood readily. "Riley, do you think they're the ones?" the silver-haired one asked, pausing to lift a silky scarf from a display table. After considering for a few moments, she laid down the money for it and they moved on. The dark-haired woman waited for her to finish tying it into a band over her hair before she spoke.

"I feel it, Dessa. Those are our girls. They look so young. Just children. They shouldn't have ta be doin' this," Riley shook her head. "They need their mamas ta be lookin' after em."

"Well, Riley, tha mamas that could've done it, are long dead. They got us now. What are you so riled about?" Dessa asked.

"That last readin' I did. The Tower reversed. Somethin's about ta happen. Somethin' bad. And there's no way of tellin' when it'll happen!" her eyes held worry and fear, and her shoulders slumped in defeat.

"And your sister's somewhere here in Tokyo."

"Yeah. She is."

"Would you feel better if we did another reading?" Dessa asked, wrapping her arm around Riley's shoulders.

"Come on," Riley said, shrugging off Dessa's arm and walking back the way they had come with a purposeful stride. Dessa shook her head and followed her friend.

They reached their apartment after just a short walk. Riley was pensive and impatient, not even waiting for the elevator, choosing instead to run up the four flights of stairs. She was already arranging the table when Dessa, who had taken the stairs at a more sedate pace, walked in the door. The dark-haired woman was chanting softly under her breath, invoking the powers of the elements, earth, wind, water, and fire. All the lights had been extinguished, except, for the glow of five thick white pillar candles, one set at each tip of the five pointed star that was embroidered in golden thread on the black velvet tablecloth. Soft stringed music played in the background, accompanied by the gentle wash of waves on the shore. As Dessa silently took her chair at the table, Riley began to place four brightly colored candles, unlit, at each of the cardinal points of the compass. When they were set, she made a round of the table, lighting each one with a low, murmured invocation. At the first candle, in the eastern position she whispered, "I light the blue candle of water. I invoke the powers of emotions and the heart. May our cups run over." Lighting the yellow candle at the southern point, she said, "I light the yellow candle of air. I invoke the powers of strength and valiance. May our swords stay sharp and at the ready." She moved on to the candle in the west. "I light the green candle of earth. I invoke the powers of prosperity and stability. May our lives be replete with success." Moving to the last candle, she murmured, "I light the red candle of flame. May its wisdom and passion guide us."

With that, she extinguished the match and took a seat between the earth candle and the fire candle. Riley reached out and took into her hands a set of Tarot cards, which had been lying in the center of the table. She shuffled them for a moment, concentration fully on them, before looking up and across at Dessa. Riley's eyes were glowing like a pair of emerald stars as she spoke aloud. "Cards, tell us whom we seek here in this city. Tell us who is here." Her voice no longer sounded like her own. There was a strange, hissing undertone and the sweet melody of her Southern accent was gone, replaced by crisp, delineated pronunciation. She began to shuffle the cards again, dealing them out, one by one, face down, until eight lay upon the table in a neat line, with one above them. Placing the other cards to the side, she began the real reading. As she turned the first card over, she spoke aloud for Dessa's benefit. "The Empress. She is domesticity and strength. She has a great capacity for love." It seemed as though the card flashed green for an instant.

"Jupiter…" Dessa whispered as Riley turned the next card.

"The High Priestess," Riley intoned, still in that voice that was not her own. "She holds hidden wisdom and knowledge. She is mystical power and mysterious gifts." The card glowed red for a second.

"Mars…" Dessa sighed. The next card was already glowing a faint orange as the strength of Riley's sight increased.

"Justice. She is a leader of leaders. She is fair and unbiased, but determined for victory." Dessa smiled as she spoke the name quietly.

"Venus." Riley was already turning the next card, a pale blue light tinting it.

"Temperance. This one searches for knowledge, sacrificing other possible powers in her quest. Her strengths are in her mind."

"Mercury." The next card was a brilliant gold. The power in it was obvious.

"The Hanged Man. She is our Princess. Her devotion, love and self-sacrifice make it possible for all of our continued existences."

"The Moon Princess! Serenity! She lives!" Joy flashed over Dessa's face, until she saw the remaining three cards. The next one held a dark emerald glow.

"The Hermit," Riley intoned more softly. "She is hidden away from normal view. In eternal isolation, she watches all that occurs, changing only what she may." Concern darkened Dessa's features.

"Pluto. Oh, god." The next card bore a violet tinge.

"Death. She is the cleansing force. Her power is great and dark, yet she wields it for the good."

"Saturn. She should not be awake." The fear in Dessa's voice was almost tangible. "What is this we face?" The last card, the one that hung above all the others, was glowing with a riot of colors, green, blue, orange, red, silver, and gold. Riley turned it slowly. The image on its face was a shock to both girls. Riley's voice shook slightly as she intoned its message.

"The Lovers. Six men. One must be Endymion. As for the others…"

"The generals?" Dessa asked. Riley sat, looking at her, for a few moments, until the glow drained out of her eyes like water down a sink. When she spoke, her voice had returned to normal, with the exception of her inflection, which remained crisp.

"Most likely it is them. If Saturn is awake and Pluto has returned to Earth, we might be facing more than we thought. It is possible that we will need them. But, to whom does the sixth belong?" Dessa shot her a look of sympathy. Serenity had not been the only one to lose loved ones in the final battle of the Silver Millennium.

"We'll find out soon enough. Come on. Let's get out of here. Maybe we'll run into them again," Dessa said, trying to break the mood. Riley gave her best friend a small smile and agreed, rising slowly from the chair, legs shaking from the effort she had put into the reading. Dessa took her arm and helped her out the door again and to the elevator. She punched the down button, her arm still supporting Riley, just as the door opened, revealing the odango-headed blonde from the arcade, along with her boyfriend. The couple stood, looking in shock at the two young women, for a second, before the blonde went into action.

"Oh no! Is she ok? Here, let me help." Usagi grabbed Riley's other arm and helped Dessa haul her into the elevator, showing surprising strength for such a petite girl. The door closed behind them, and Dessa and Usagi gently deposited Riley onto the ground.

"Thanks for the help," Dessa said, reverting to Japanese.

"It's no problem," Usagi replied. "I'm Tuskino Usagi. This is Chiba Mamoru. Will your friend be ok?"

"She'll be fine. I'm Odessa Fallows. This is Riley Ann Walker. It's nice to meet you Tuskino-san, Chiba-san." Slowly, Riley was gaining her footing again, strength flooding back.

"Thank you for your help, Tuskino-san" Riley said with a wavering smile. Usagi stepped to her side as she stood.

"Call me Usagi, please," she asked. "Do we need to take you to the doctor, Walker-san?"

"It's just Riley, thanks. And no. I'm getting better already!" Usagi gave her an odd look, but suddenly, her communicator beeped. The wild look she cast Mamoru was not lost on the two Americans, but they did not comment on it. The communicator continued beeping until Riley asked, "Is that your pager going off?"

"Oh! No!" Usagi exclaimed nervously as the elevator reached the ground floor. "I accidentally set the alarm on my watch. Got to go now! Nice meeting you!" The last sentence only reached the girls on a tail of the wind, as Usagi and the silent Mamoru bolted outside. Dessa and Riley shared a knowing look as they followed the two out the door. There was no one outside, so the two girls stepped towards the little alley that ran beside the apartment building. They stopped moving and ducked behind a dumpster however when they heard Usagi conversing with another female.

"What's going on, Mars?" the blonde asked. The voice that answered back was somehow familiar to Riley.

"There's some kind of youma here at the temple! Hurry up, Sailor Moon! The others are on their way, but you're closest!" There was a sudden scream, then silence.

"Mars!" The eavesdroppers heard the sharp sound of pain in Usagi's voice, then it firmed. "Hold on! I'm on my way. Cosmic… Moon… Power!" The dim alleyway was filled by sudden flashes of light and a swirling of feathers. Then, there was the sound of running feet, then nothing. When they were sure the others were gone, Riley and Dessa stepped back into the alley.

"Well, well," Riley said, a smile on her face, "looks like I was right after all. Ready to go?"

"Let's do it!" Dessa exclaimed. Riley pulled an object from her purse. It resembled a henshin wand. The base color was bright white, with a ring of cobalt blue around the middle. On the top of it was a ram's head made of silver metal, with sapphires for eyes. Dessa had grabbed a similar object from her jeans pocket. Hers was a matte silver color, with a ring of navy blue so dark that it was almost black around it. The silver figure on the top of it was a winged horse, with eyes made of obsidian. The two girls exchanged smiles, then raised the wands into the air.

"Crystal… Aries… Power!" Riley shouted. Brilliant white and cobalt blue light surrounded her for a moment, the receded. She stood, legs together, arms out and back arched like a gymnast, wearing a Sailor Senshi fuku. The bodysuit was black, while her skirt and collar were both cobalt blue. The bows adorning the front and back of her costume were bright white. The tiara on her forehead was silver, with a shimmering sapphire in the center. Her choker was cobalt blue, with a white star in the center. Inside the star, the symbol of Mars was emblazoned in black. Her boots reached up to her thighs and were white, with a line of cobalt blue on the edge. She flashed Dessa a smile. "Your turn."

"Crystal… Pegasus… Power!" The flashes of light that enclosed Dessa were dark. Deep, deep navy blue, black, and silver brilliance formed a cocoon around her. When the colors dissipated, she too was wearing a senshi fuku. The bodysuit was black, and the skirt and collar were that deep, dark navy blue. The bows were matte silver. Her tiara was also silver, with an obsidian gem in the center. Her choker was black, with a navy blue star, in the middle of which was a silver crescent moon symbol. Her silver odangos were held in place by another pair of obsidian jewels, these with a setting of silver. On her feet was a pair of black ballet slippers, with the laces reaching up to her knees. She stood _en Pointe_, with her arms curved into a loop gracefully above her head. She lowered herself to her feet and Riley grabbed her arm.

"Well, Sailor Pegasus, ready to go?" Dessa nodded her head and they took to the rooftops, following their own innate sense of danger.

When they reached the temple, they found hiding places in the trees, in order to watch the other senshi for a moment. The youma they were fighting was vaguely humanoid, with deep green skin and gills on the sides of its neck. Its ears looked like a pair of fish fins with spines, sticking out straight on either side of its head. The senshi's coordination was good, though Sailor Moon kept tripping over her own feet and crying. They were just not strong enough to defeat this one. Sailor Moon yelled, "Spiral… Moon… Heartattack!" The attack hit the monster and threw it back into a nearby tree, but the thing got up again and threw another wave of what looked to be filthy water at Sailor Mercury, who was looking at her computer. Jupiter saw it in time and pushed Mercury out of the way, but got hit by the full force of the attack instead. Her fuku was smoking and there were burns on her arms and legs, but she shakily rose to her feet. Mars and Venus continued hurling attacks at the youma, but they did not seem to be affecting it. Nor did the roses Tuxedo Mask was throwing. Pegasus and Aries exchanged worried looks, then leapt from the tree onto the ground. They had seen enough.

"Aries… Illuminated… Crashing!" Riley yelled, throwing her arms up above her head and arching her back. A glowing ball of what looked like bolts of white and cobalt blue lightning formed above her cupped hands. She brought it down to chest level and gently thrust it forward, releasing it. It expanded as it neared the youma, then encased it. The youma screamed in pain until the ball of light dissipated, leaving it on its knees, smoking.

"Pegasus… Shade… Eclipse!" Dessa yelled. She spread her arms wide out to her sides and rose onto one toe shoe. The air around her seemed to darken and a white mist began to materialize from the ground around her. Pegasus began to spin on her toe, arms gathering the white mist around her like a shroud. When it completely surrounded her, she raised her arms and flung them forward. The mist funneled over her arms and hit the youma, cocooning it. As it screamed, Pegasus yelled, "Now, Sailor Moon!" The blonde-haired princess nodded.

"Moon… Spiral… Heartattack!" Her attack hit the thing and it dissolved into a pile of dust, with only a small black gem on top of the pile. Aries spoke.

"Sailor Moon, use your healing attack. Hurry!" With an odd look at the two newcomers, Sailor Moon complied.

"Moon… Healing… Escalation!" As the healing energy struck the black gem, its color began to morph from black into a clear, diamond-like sheen. Pegasus stepped over to the crystal and picked it up, then turned to hand it to Usagi.

"You'll need this." She and Aries looked at the five confused senshi and one confused guardian. They exchanged a look.

"Call your guardians, Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus. We have a lot of things we need to discuss," said Aries.


	2. Finding Out

"Call your guardians, Sailor Moon, Sailor Venus. We have a lot of things we need to discuss," said Aries.

A short while later, Luna and Artemis joined the senshi, who still retained their planetary personalities, and the constellations. With a nod at each other, Aries and Pegasus led the way over the rooftops to their apartment, stepping into the room from a balcony. When everyone was inside, Pegasus closed the drapes and turned on a few of the lights. Then, Pegasus and Aries approached the Sailor Moon and dropped to one knee simultaneously. Usagi exchanged looks with the other senshi.

"What are you doing?" Usagi asked. "Who are you?" Seemingly taking her words as some kind of signal, the two girls rose and gestured the others to have a seat in the living room.

"We honor you, Princess Serenity," said Aries.

"We were overjoyed when the cards told us that you were alive," Pegasus continued.

"Aries felt your death in the battle with Beryl, but we were unable to reach you. By the time we knew what had happened, we could not cross the veil quickly enough to aid you."

"Ok, will you just tell us exactly who you are and how you know who we are?" Rei asked.

"I am Crystal Aries, and this is Crystal Pegasus. We also lived during the time of the Silver Millennium. I was the Queen of Aries, and Pegasus the Princess of Pegasus. Do you remember us Luna?"

"Yes…" the little black cat murmured. "I believe I do. Artemis, what do you think?"

"I recognize them. I had almost forgotten. Wait a second…" he looked at Pegasus. "You were related to Queen Serenity, weren't you? A cousin or something?" Pegasus laughed softly.

"Actually, yes, I was." She looked at Sailor Moon with a smile. "I'm glad to know that some of my family survived." Usagi had a shocked look on her face.

"You're my cousin? My real cousin?" she stammered out, tears beginning to shimmer.

"In every lifetime, Princess. I always considered you to be a little sister, though you'll want to get to know me now, I wager. I've been looking for you." With a squeal, Usagi launched her body out of the chair and tackled Pegasus, crying.

"I have a cousin! A real life cousin!" Rei rolled her eyes and whispered a smart remark under her breath. Riley looked up from the tearful reunion and gave the senshi of Mars a sharp glance. Moving next to her, she spoke in a low, angry voice.

"All this time she spent thinking that all of her family had been killed by Queen Beryl. Don't you dare take this away from her with your attitude. How would you feel if you found that your sister still lived?" Rei turned wide eyes to Aries.

"How did you… I haven't even told the others about the dreams…" Mars thought she was whispering, but Minako turned to her.

"What dreams?" Rei blushed and covered.

"Nothing. I'll tell you later." Louder she said, "OK, so who are you really?" Pegasus deposited the still stunned Usagi into Mamoru's arms and turned to the young priestess.

"We saw each other earlier at the crown," she said, "and we met Usagi and Mamoru in the elevator earlier. Crystal Dissipate." With her final command, her senshi uniform shimmered, then disappeared. Usagi smiled at her and moved to give her another, gentler hug. "I am Odessa Marie Fallows."

"Crystal Dissipate," Riley echoed Dessa's command. "And I'm Riley Ann Walker. We are the senshi of the constellations Pegasus and Aries. I know that you have no memories of our settlements. We had only been in existence for a few years when Beryl attacked. We stayed, to try to defend our homes, but we weren't strong enough alone. When Beryl conquered our people, we fled to the moon in an effort to protect you, Princess Serenity. We were too late. As Beryl was attacking you, one of her allies attacked us. His attack caught us at the same time Queen Serenity's final gift did. Dessa was flung into the future to be reborn as the first new Princess of Pegasus. Now, introduce yourselves." The planetary senshi exchanged curious looks, then dropped their transformations. Ami was the first to speak.

"Mizuno Ami, Senshi of Mercury."

"Kino Makoto, Senshi of Jupiter."

"Aino Minako, Senshi of Venus."

"Hino Rei, Senshi of Mars," Rei was watching Riley as she introduced herself. A look of shock and sudden recognition flashed over the other girl's face. Riley quickly covered it, leaving Rei wondering if she had actually seen the emotions cross the other girl's face.

Dessa had seen it as well. "I am so glad to have finally found you. We've been tracking you via the cards for months." Here, Minako interrupted.

"You've mentioned the cards twice now. What cards are you talking about? And how are you tracking us with them?" She leaned forward in her chair, elbows on her knees, blue eyes curious and concerned. Riley gestured at the table behind her.

"I read Tarot cards, in much the same way a priestess might read a fire, or the I-Ching. As the senshi of Aries, I have a strong affinity for the planet Mars. I share some of that spiritual energy." Rei nodded.

"That's why I couldn't get a very clear reading on you two earlier! Your ties with my planet were blocking me!" Riley smiled.

"Exactly!" Usagi jumped in with a question now.

"Riley, you told me to keep that weird, healed crystal. Why?" She held up the clear crystal for inspection. It had morphed again in the time they had been talking. Instead of the shapeless blob of diamond crystal, it now had the shape of a many-faceted heart. Its interior glowed with a soft pink light.

"That crystal is called a Gravitational Crystal. It is going to give you the new attack you're going to need to defeat this new enemy," Pegasus said. "Would you like to try it?"

"What do I have to do?" Usagi asked, giving the crystal in her hands a wary glance. Riley and Dessa smiled at the princess's suspicious eyes. "Is it going to hurt?"

"No, Princess. Hold it in the palm of your right hand and concentrate on it." Usagi complied, raising the crystal in her open palm to be level with her heart. The crystal began to pulse gently, sending flashes of soft pink light across Usagi's face. It rose from her palm to hover above it, still pulsing. With one final flash, brighter than any of the others, is disappeared. Usagi was left holding her palm upward, with only a golden crescent moon mark and a slowly receding swelling where the crystal had been absorbed into her body. Luna asked the obvious question, breaking the spell that seemed to have been cast over everyone.

"What will this do to Usagi?"

"It won't hurt her, Luna. Each Gravitational Crystal holds within it the potential to bestow either positive or negative energy to its carrier. For a senshi, it grants a new attack, if it has been purified first. If you have a place where you practice your powers, I'll show you," Riley said.

"Right now, I'm more interested in what you know about this new enemy," Makoto said, cracking her knuckles.

"I agree," Ami said, pulling her computer out to take notes. Once everyone had given their assent, Dessa gathered them around the coffee table. Placing a small black cube on it, she pressed the center of the cube and sat back. The cube opened and laid itself flat on the table, while at the same time seeming to expand upwards, revealing a holographic star-scape. The solar system was clearly visible, as was the giant crystalline city that graced the third planet.

"I come from a farther future than your daughter did, Usagi and Mamoru. In my time, Chibi-Usa is grown up, and rules her own kingdom on the moon. She is called Queen Serenity the Younger, in formal terms. Her own people know her as Lady Serenity, as opposed to Neo-Queen Serenity. There are settlements on each of the planets again. The power of the Silver Crystal made all of this possible," Dessa said. The view in the holograph changed, revealing another facet of the galaxy. The constellation Pegasus was visible from this angle. In the center of it was a mammoth floating castle, with four spokes radiating outwards into a ring of what appeared to be millions of tiny bubbles.

"This is my home," she continued, "Pegasus Station. We are the first of these colonies to have been established, with the exception of one." The view changed again, this time revealing a roiling mass of dark gasses, lit by some interior red light. There was another station there, but this one had none of the beauty of Pegasus Station. It looked like a broken and battered woman, who had given up all hope.

"This was our first outpost, Nebula Station. It is ruled by what was once a good man, King Xavier. After the post was established, something happened. No one knows what. All we know is that there was some sudden flash of heavily condensed gamma raidiation, then a massive increase in the area's gravitational field. Sailor Neo-Mercury has theorized that a white hole has opened in the area, spewing the leftovers from a black hole onto Nebula Station."

"Hold on. Sailor Neo-Mercury? Does that mean…" Makoto interrupted, but trailed off. Riley answered her.

"Yes, Mercury's daughter. Surely you did not think that Serenity would be the only one to have children." The senshi exchanged guilty looks, but Ami was the one who responded.

"Actually, we did. There have never been any great loves in our pasts. And who could love or even understand women with powers such as we have?" Riley and Dessa smiled at the senshi before ignoring the statement and moving back to the main topic.

"At any rate," Dessa continued, "just after the increase in the gravitational field, we began receiving strange signals from the Station. They sounded like calls for help, but we could not clarify the words. There was a lot of odd, demonic sounding noise in the background that cover up anything the people of Nebula Station might have been trying to tell us. Shortly after they began, the calls stopped. There was only one last one. It was the only one we could ever understand. It came from a woman with a low, hissing voice. She called herself the Serpent Queen and said that she was the daughter of Queen Beryl and had claimed the area around Nebula Station as her own. She named her consort only as the Serpent Prince, but we suspect that he is in reality King Xavior, probably brainwashed in the same way King Endymion once was. She told us that she would destroy all of our other settlements before coming to Crystal Tokyo to destroy the woman who had killed her mother. It was shortly after that we fought the first of her youma. We were able to repel her initial attacks, but it appears that she had new ideas. The youma we fought today was one of hers. They are stronger than anything you have faced before. The Serpent Queen is still attacking in my century, but it appears that she has sent her generals to this time to kill Serenity before she has the chance to come into her full power."

"Why did you leave, if things were so bad there?" Minako asked.

"Queen Serenity decided that it was best I came to this time to find Aries. We were partners in our past lives, and are stronger together."

"So why haven't you gone back to fight the Serpent Queen in your time?" Rei queried.

"I read in the cards that the senshi were alive," Riley said. "What I read is always true, so I knew that we had to come and find you. I was born and raised in a small town in Alabama, in the US. The most exciting thing that happened there in my lifetime was Dessa showing up. It was no problem convincing people that I was ready to see the world."

"But why come here?" Rei replied.

"I was looking for family here. I don't want to talk about it. Any way, it's a good thing we did come, or you would be in serious trouble."

"Yes," Ami said. "I agree. Tell us more about the Serpent Queen's generals."

"There are three, all females," Dessa said. "Cobra, Mamba, and Viper. Right now that is all we know. They might be attacking jointly, or separately. We have no idea. We do not truly even know the extent of their powers, only that it is great. The Serpent Queen is far stronger than Beryl ever dreamed of being, so her generals must be as well. Now, I think that is more than enough information for tonight."

"I agree. I know you all have to be hungry. How about some Southern specialties for dinner?" Riley asked, rising from her seat on the floor. Dessa rose with her, passing her hand over the holographic box so that it collapsed into a cube again. The other senshi murmured assent as Riley walked past them into the kitchen and Dessa went to turn on music and grab a pack of playing cards.

While Riley cooked, Dessa educated her new friends in the game of poker. The game was just starting to get good when Riley came out to inform them that dinner was served. Everyone went into the kitchen to get food, then settled back down with plates piled high with fried chicken, mashed potatoes, English peas, and biscuits, and the smell of a peach cobbler in the oven drifting in the air.


End file.
